Plextor M2 Series 128GB SATA 6Gbps Marvell SSD Review

Plextor 128GB M2 Series SSD Introduction

Plextor is probably best known for their optical drives so it may come as a surprise to some that they also offer SSDs in their product line. Their most recent line is the M2 series which features a Marvell controller and a 6Gbps interface. We’ve got our hands on the 128GB version and we’ll see how it stacks up against the other drives we have tested.

At first blush, the specifications for read and write, 420 MB/s and 210 MB/s respectively, don’t seem all that amazing compared to the newest SandForce drives emerging that hit above 500 MB/s on both fronts. However, as we have seen with SandForce controllers, they rely on data compression to boost speed so depending on the type of data being transferred, the data rate may vary dramatically. The benchmarks will paint this picture a little better.

Plextor’s Marvell controller seems to be on a more even keel with speeds remaining relatively consistent regardless of the data type. This is an important factor and why you shouldn’t rely on max throughput specifications alone. With three capacities to choose from – 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB, there is a size to fit just about everyone’s needs. The prices on these range from $179.99, $279.99 and $599.99 respectively and all carry a three year warranty.

Performance:

Model

PX-64M2S

PX-128M2S

PX-256M2S

Capacity

64 GB

128 GB

256 GB

Sequential Read (MB/S)

370

420

480

Sequential Write (MB/S)

110

210

310

Sequential Read (IOPS 4K)

15,000

15,000

15,000

Sequential Write (IOPS 4K)

6000

9000

9000

General Specifications:

Buffer

128MB DDR3 Cache

Power Consumption (Typical)

0.25W (Idle); 0.75W (Active)

Temperature (Operating)

32 ºF to 158 ºF (0 ºC to 70 ºC)

Temperature (Non-operating)

-40ºF to 185 ºF (-40 ºC to 85 ºC)

Shock

1,500G/0.5 ms

Vibration (Operating)

7~800Hz, 2.17G (RMS)

MTBF

1.5 million hour

Warranty

3 Year

Form Factor and Connectors:

Form Factor

2.5-inch

Power Connector

15-pin SATA connector for DC 5V input

Data Connector

7-pin SATA connector

Dimensions and Weight:

Dimensions (W x H x D)

2.75 x 0.3 x 4.0 inch

Weight

1.94 ~ 3.53 oz

Included in the box is a quick installation guide, a warranty sheet and an disc containing the Acronis True Image imaging software for use in transferring your current installation over to the Plextor drive. Before you do, just make sure it is aligned properly for best SSD performance or you’ll see a degradation in performance.